Australian foreign minister says Solomons intervention going well

Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, says Australian forces in the Solomons will begin looking for illegal weapons after a gun amnesty ends on the 21st of this month.

Mr Downer told an Australian television channel the international peacekeeping operation in the Solomons was going better than had been expected with many of the rebels in the strife-torn nation already handing over their guns.

He said rebel leader Harold Keke had told Australian special coordinator Nick Warner his group would surrender their guns.